Improvement in steam-pumps



an-ma ema HENRY SERGEANT, O'FNEWYORK, N. Y.l

Letters Patent No.'91,676, dated .Tune 22, 1869; mandated June 17,18,69. n

IMPRQIEMENT IN STEAM-PUMPS.

The Schedulereferred to in these Letters P atent and "making part of thesame.

To all wlwntit may concern:

Bc it known that 1, HENRY C. SnnGnANr, of the city, county, and State vof New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus`for Elevating Water and other Fluids, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing, form ing a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1represents a vertical' section of ya waterraising apparatus, constructedin accordance with my invention; v

Figure 2, a horizontal section, taken as denoted by the irregular linea: a: in fig. l, but with the pistons, which work in -the cylinders ofthe apparatus, re-` moved; and

Figure 3,a `transverse section of the apparatus, in` part, under amodified construction of certain of its details.

Similar letters of reference indicate .corresponding parts.

This invention consists in a novel apparatus for raising water or otherlinids, in which two or more pistons, reciprocating in separatecylinders, but connected to operate in unison, are used, in combinationwith a valve or valves, set in` motion by the movement of the pistons,and so arranged to control ports or passages, as that the iiuid israised by the condensation ofthe exhaust steam in or from the onecylinder, while live steam on back of the other piston, combined withthe discharge of fluid in the cylinder thereof, serves to effect themovement of both pistons.

Also, the invention consists in a combination with such devices, ofeondensers, in communication with said cylinders at their-one end, andinterposed between the outlets or discharge-pipes, for operation inconnection vwith valvescontrollingsaid outlets and entry, orreceiving-pipe or pipes.

Referring to the accompanying drawing- A A' represent two, or there Vmaybe more, cylin` ders, which are* here shown to occupy a horizontalposition.

These cylinders have fitted within them, pistons B B', connected by arod, C, or otherwise, so as to work in concert, or form a double piston,as it were.

D is a steam-pipe, which is supplied, from any suitably-located boiler,-with steam of a low pressure, say, for instance, with steam of from oneto three ponnds, or thereabouts, pressure, above that of the atmosphere.

E E' are valve-boxes, or cases, into which such lowpressure steam isadmitted by the pipe D, and which contain valves F F', that may be ofany suitable character, but are here shown as of a curvilinear-lyreciprocating description, being rocked by levers a a, through or by anarm, b, carried by the rod C, acting alternately against collars c c',on a rod, d, connecting said levers, or the valves may be, otherwiseoperated,

iu an automatic manner, by or through the motion of `the pistons, soasto control passagesc f and ef, leading to the front and backends ofthe cylinders A A', in such way as that either one valve, or in theplace of two valves it may be a single long slide-valve, alternately'establishes, and, foracertain interval during the pistons stroke, keepsopen communication between the passages e and f or c f', while 'theother valve simply admits steam lby the passage e or c' to eithercylinder.f

Arranged between the cylinders A A', are condensers,k G G', preferablyof a surface character or descriptiori, being made up for the most partoflplates g.

H is a suction or entry-pipe, arrangedbelow the eondensers, andextending toa depth somewhat less than the .height to which a column ofwater would rise in a vacuum.'- f" A This pipe carries, on its top,valves I I', opening upwards. l

J J are delivery-branches or outlets,l arranged helow the eondensers,and fitted with valves K K', opening outwards.

,The operation is as follows:

supposing the parts to be in the position represented in fig. 1, thenthevalve F is open to admit steam to the back of the piston B, while thesteam, which', in the previous stroke of the apparatus, has filled thecylinder A', has, by the position ofthe valve F', passed off by thepassages c' f' to the condenser G', .where it.is condensed, causing thewater, by the vacuum produced, to rise in the pipe H and into the saidcondenser by or through the opening of the valve I', and, as the pistonsmove'in direction of the arrows z, to enter the cylinder A in front ofthe piston B.

While this is going on, the water, which, in the reversestroke of thepistons, had been previously drawn or forced through the valvell intothe cylinder A, is being delivered by4 its gravity through the outlet Jand valve K, which action, combined with the action of the steam on theback of the piston B, gives, for at least the greater portion of thestroke, the necessaryy-movementto the two pistons in direction of thearrows z.v The piston B', during such movement, being balanced by the.open communicationV through the passages c' f,'between the oppositeendsof the cylinder A', the water is forced and drawn up into said cylinderand the condenser G', by atmospheric pressure from below, acting on thecolumn in thev pipe H, as opposed to the vacuum produced by thecondensation of the steam in the condenser G'.

Prior to the pistons reaching the endrof their stroke in the directionindicated by the arrows z, the position of the valves F F', by theaction of the arm b on the collar c is reversed, so as to effectacushioning of the advance piston, and, by the valve F, establishingcommunication between the passages e and f, while the other valve It"has broken the connection between the passages e f', only leaving thepassagee open to steam from the valve-chestE, which acts as a check tothe momentum of the rising column oi' water in its action on the pistonB', but not suiciently so as to prevent said momentum from aiding thepistons to complete their stroke. The exhaust steam passing from theback portion of the cylinder A, at rst temporarily -acts upon thesurface of the water in said cylinder A, to expel it, or to keep up itsexpulsion by gravity through the valve AK; and in the return-stroke ofthe pistons, or until the valves are again reversed, said exhaust steam,by its condensation, produces a vacuum, which causes a fresh supply ofwater to rise in the cylinder A. This action is repeated alternately vin each cylinder as the pistons are reciprocated, and

thus a frequent or almost constant discharge of'water from the outlets JJ', alternately, is maintained.

yThe surtaee-condensers G- G add materially to the eiciency of thisapparatus, not only at starting, but during the continued action of thesame, by the large plate or surface-presentation which is oii'cred tot-he steam and water in the rising and failing ofthe latter through thecondensers, aud change constantly taking place, as regards fresh supplyof water to the condensers.

In some'cases it is preferred to make a somewhat different arrangementof the condensers, relatively to 'the water-inlet opening to thecylinders and dischargeoutlets J J', with their valves K K', as, forinstance, by locating the coudensers, with their plates g, above saidwater-inlets and outlets, as represented in fic. 3, and whereby a moreefficient action of' the condenser is obtained, and the tendency tocollection or lodgment of air, requiring expulsion by thepistons, isreduced, but the action ot' the apparatus generally is the same. f A

By reason of the economy which results in thus raising water, theapparatus may be very advantageously employed in lifting water to work awheel or other motor, using, in such case, the same wat-er over and overagain; or said water-elevating apparatus may be used for a variety ofpurposes.

When referring to the employment of low-pressure steam in working theapparatus, it should be understood that high-pressure steam, workedexpansively,

may be Aused 'so as to reduce it to the necessary pressure at or towardsthe termination of either pistons` stroke; and thus, under appropriatearrangements `or modifications of details, the exhaust steam ot ahighpressure engine may be employed for the purpose.

What is here claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

l. The cylinders A A', in combination with the vcondensers G;G andoutlets J J', substantially as de-

